Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by
Dan Knight
- 2004.04.23
Except as noted, prices are in US dollars, bold links are to
outside sites, and regular links lead to 'Book profiles on Low End
Mac.
48% of Mac CPU Sales Either PowerBooks or
iBooks
ars technica's Eric Bangeman on Apple's 2nd quarter
earnings:
"For the first time, they sold more iPods than computers,
shipping 807,000 of the digital music players, an increase of a
staggering 909% from 2Q 03. Computer shipments topped out 749,000
units, up 5%. CPU sales break down like this:
- iBook: 201,000
- PowerBook: 157,000
- Power Macintosh: 174,000
- iMac/eMac: 217,000"
"From looking at the sales breakdown, it looks like laptops are
a winning category for Apple right now. 48% of all CPU sales were
either PowerBooks or iBooks.
"...this is Apple's strength right now. Their global market
share has increased from 5.9% to 7.0% in the laptop segment....
Updating the iBooks with a G4 CPU has turned out to be a very good
move for Apple, as iBook volume was at its all-time highest level
with the exception of one quarter.
"Expect to see Apple betting heavily on the portable segment
going forward. Hopefully by year end there should be G5 PowerBooks
available... The G5 shouldn't make it down to the iBook for some
time, but Apple has left plenty of room for growth in the iBook
line with the G4, as the top-of-the-line iBook still has another
500 MHz to go before bumping into the current PowerPC 7447 speed
limit."
New eMac 1.25 GHz versus iMac 1.25 GHz versus
PowerBook 1.25 GHz
Bare Feats' rob-ART
morgan says:
"The new G4/1.25 GHz eMac seems too good to be true. Only $999
including 8X SuperDrive. Is it really a better buy than the iMac
17" or PowerBook 15" running at the same clock speed? Is it as
fast?"
He concludes that "the eMac can definitely 'run with the pack,'
but has some video support shortcomings, and rob-ART "found the
eMac's CRT to be blurry compared to the iMac and PowerBook. Is the
thinner, clearer, moveable, wider LCD screen on the iMac worth the
extra $800? You'll have to make that call."
No G5 PowerBooks for Some Time Yet
The
BBC reports:
"Apple is aiming to capitalise on the trend towards portable
computing with a series of upgrades to its notebooks....
"'We know that customers would prefer to be portable,' said Greg
Joswiak, Apple vice-president of hardware product marketing.
"In the three months to March, [Apple] sold some 358,000
notebooks, making up just under 50% of all computer sales.
"'We've been pushing hard on the move to portable computing,'
Mr. Joswiak told BBC News Online.
"Mr. Joswiak refused to be drawn on when the next generation of
notebooks, using the PowerPC G5 processor, would be released.
"In the very long run, the G5 is part of our long term processor
roadmap, but it will be some time before that processor will be in
a notebook," said Mr. Joswiak.... [who] pointed out that it had
taken at least two years for the G4 chip to make it from the
desktop to the notebook."
MCE Expansion Bay DVD-R/RW with DVD-RAM Multi
Drive for PowerBook G3
What is a Multi Drive? Simply put, it is a SuperDrive with the
additional feature of being able to read and write to DVD-RAM
discs. The
MCE 2x DVD-R/RW with DVD Multi Drive for the PowerBook G3
utilizes 4.7 GB single-sided and 9.4 GB double-sided rewritable
industry standard discs and can record to DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW,
CD-R, CD-RW media and provide superior performance and
reliability.
Fully compliant with the DVD Forum's standards, the single-sided
media is capable of storing a full two-hours of MPEG2 video. The
MCE 2x DVD Multi drive reads industry-standard DVD-ROM, DVD-Video,
DVD-R, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, CD-DA, Photo CD, and Video CD media. The
random-access, drag-and-drop DVD-RAM storage media provides in
excess of 100,000 write/rewrite cycles and data life in excess of
30 years.
The DVD-RAM recording function of the MCE DVD Multi drive is
supported natively by Mac OS X at the desktop level without
the need for additional drivers, and is also fully compatible with
Dantz Retrospect backup software. Included with the drive is a 9.4
GB double-sided DVD-RAM disc providing nearly 10 GB of removable
data storage and backup space immediately.
The MCE Expansion Bay DVD Multi Drive comes complete with DVD
authoring software compatible with Mac OS X and OS 9.
Here's a few of the many customizable menus and buttons you can
create, as well as the easy-to-use, drag-and-drop DVD authoring
environment:
Features
- 2x DVD-R recorder
- 2x DVD-RAM recorder
- 1x DVD-RW recorder
- Convenient slot-loading mechanism
- Buffer underrun protection
- Bootable
- Compatible with iTunes, Disc Burner and Apple DVD Player
Write Support:
- DVD-R 4.7 GB, DVD-RW 4.7 GB, DVD-RAM 4.7 GB, DVD-RAM 9.4
GB
- CD-R/RW 700 MB (type 80), CD-R/RW 650 MB (Type 74)
Read Support:
- DVD-ROM and DVD-Video (Single and Dual layer)
- DVD-R (General Use), DVD-RW, DVD-RAM
- CD-R, CD-RW
- CD-ROM (Mode 1, Mode 2 Form 1), CD-ROM XA (Mode 2 Form 2)
- CD-DA CD-EXTRA (CD Plus), CD-Text, Video CD, Photo-CD (single
or multisession), Photo CD (Single and Multisession)
Write Speed:
- DVD-R: 2x
- DVD-RW: 1x
- DVD-RAM: 2x
- CD-R: 16x, 12x, 8x, 4x
- CD-RW: 8x, 4x
Read Speed:
- DVD-ROM (Single): Max 8x CAV
- DVD-ROM (Dual): Max 6x CAV
- DVD-R, DVD-RW: Max 4x CAV
- CD-R, CD-ROM: Max 24x CAV
- CD-RW: Mac 12x CAV
Minimum System Requirements
- PowerBook G3 2000 (Pismo/FireWire) or PowerBook G3 Series 1999
(Lombard/Pismo)
- Mac OS 9.1 - 9.2.x; Mac OS X (10.2.x or 10.3.2 and later)
recommended
- 64 MB RAM (256 MB or greater recommended)
Price: $479
G3 PowerBook 16x/10x/x24 DVD/CD-RW Combo
Drive
Wanna get more use of your PowerBook? Slide this Combo Drive in
your right side bay, and experience your PowerBook's maximum
capabilities. Combo drive allows full DVD and CD-RW capabilities,
including:
- 8x DVD Playback
- 16x CD Burn capability
- 10x CD Rewrite capability
- 24x CD-RW/CD capabilities
- Full OS boot compatibility! Just hold "C"
- Fully compatible with OS 9, OS X 10.2 (Jaguar), OS X 10.3
(Panther)!
- Burn with iTunes, or use the desktop CD Burner to save your
data!
Fits:
- Apple PowerBook 2000 (FireWire) (500 MHz and 400 MHz
models)
- Apple PowerBook G3 Series - 1999 (Bronze) (400 MHz and 333 MHz
models); (some models require DVD CardBus Decoder Card for DVD
playback.
Full Compatibility:
- Bootable! Just hold "C" when booting!
- Buffer Underrun Protection-no more bad CD's!
- Fully Compatible with iTunes, CDBurner, Toast, even
Retrospect!
- 100% Compatible with OS 9.2, OS X, Jaguar, Panther
- New mechanism by OEM mfr!
- Just slide into your right hand bay, and you're in
business!
- Get $40 rebate for sending us your old DVD drive (dead or
alive)! Simply return it to our shop and receive a refund check!
(details included with your order).
Identical to original DVD or CDROM drive (same exact faceplate,
same look, etc.). No ugly faceplates or non-matching hardware.
Price: $ 299.99!
Green Keyboard Backlight
A 17" PowerBook owner has posted
details with photos of how he replaced the 5400 rpm HD with a
new 7200 rpm unit from Hitachi and switched the keyboard lights to
green.
Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the Web, Uses a
PowerBook
The
BBC reports:
"The inventor of the world wide web, Tim Berners-Lee, has won a
prestigious award which comes with a prize bag of one million euros
(£671,000).
"The 'Father of the Web' was named as the first winner of the
Millennium Technology Prize by the Finnish Technology Award
Foundation.
"In 1991, he came up with a system to organise, link and browse
net pages which revolutionised the Internet.
"The British scientist was knighted for his pioneering work in
2003."
Check out the BBC article for a great photo of Sir Tim sitting
beside his 15" PowerBook.
Erase Ugly Scratches from Your 'Book with
Conceal
Conceal is a quick and easy
scratch touchup kit for aluminum PowerBook G4 and Power Mac G5
computers.
It's a tough world out there for the world's most beautiful
laptop, keep yours looking picture perfect with Conceal.
Conceal is formulated to match the aluminum finish on all
current model PowerBook G4 and Power Mac G5 computers. It will also
match the iSight digital camera.
Conceal comes in a durable portable vial so you can keep it
handy if something scratches your PowerBook. The lid screws off to
reveal an application brush, so you can cover blemishes wherever
you are.
TiArmor Protection for 12" to 17" PowerBook
G4
TiArmor adds a thin layer
of protection from scratches, oils, and dust for the high-traffic
areas of your PowerBook. Over time, the factory coating on your
PowerBook will wear thin where your hands and wrists spend much of
their time, near the keyboard and trackpad. TiArmor protects your
PowerBook with a layer of soft polyurethane applied with the
nonstick durability of a much harder material. Choose from two
translucent colors: clear (to prevent damage) or gray (to cover
damage). Simple application: just clean, peel, and stick!
TiArmor for the PowerBook is specifically designed to protect
the high-use areas of your PowerBook against scratches, oils, and
dust. In addition to protecting the surface of your PowerBook,
TiArmor provides enhanced comfort in a soft, yet rugged space-age
material.
TiArmor is available in clear for the wrist-rest area, and the
top cover of your PowerBook.
Includes, Wrist and Top Cover.
"The paint around the edge of the PowerBook, simply put, just
doesn't wear very well. f you wear a watch while working on your
TiBook, or don't use an external keyboard very much, this product
is for you." - Victor Bishop, CEO, VIX, Inc.
Covers the front edge where the original paint seems to flake
off and most damage occurs.
Prices range from $13.99 to $29.99.
New Apple Portable Knowledge
Base Articles
- Learn what to do for an iBook that operates normally when
plugged into AC power (wall outlet), but may not run on battery.
Note: This document only covers the iBook through iBook
(FireWire).
- Learn to troubleshoot a PowerBook or iBook computer that will
not operate from the AC adapter.
- Learn how to troubleshoot a PowerBook G4, iBook or iBook G4
that won't turn on or start up.
- You can take some easy steps to prolong the charge of your
Apple iBook or PowerBook battery. Thanks to innovative power
management features, the battery life of iBook and PowerBook
computers is competitive with any in the industry. Some simple
settings and steps you can take to get the most out of your
battery.
Silicone Protection for the iPod mini
from iSkin
iSkin
Inc. announces the availability of the iSkin protector for the
Apple iPod mini. Based on the company's popular iSkin eXo2 &
eVo, the iSkin "mini" is designed to offer complete surface
protection and ergonomic construction without sacrificing the
appearance, size, or functionality of the iPod mini.
Crafted from durable formfitting silicone, the iSkin mini
provides superior protection against damages and scratches that may
occur from everyday use while enhancing the elegant slim look of
the iPod mini. The iSkin mini includes an ultra-clear screen
protector and a newly designed iSkin RevoClip that allows users to
rotate the iPod without removing it from their waist.
The iSkin mini is available in a variety of colors, including a
unique line of glow-in-the-dark skin tones, known as Ultra-GLO. For
those who desire to preserve the original color of their iPod mini,
the iSkin mini is also available in arctic, a transparent skin
tone.
Additional features of the iSkin mini include:
- Rear pores to promote heat dissipation
- Easy access to iPod's Controls and Hold Switch
- Side "goose bumps" for increased anti-slip grip
- Compatible with iPod accessories that connect to the top of the
iPod such as iTrip
- Integrated dock connector port cover
In addition, iSkin offers the iSkin Tattoo service, which allows
businesses and organizations to print their company logos, web
addresses or marketing message on the iSkin mini and other iSkin
products to create a unique promotional item.
The iSkin mini is available immediately for US$24.99.
Windows Watch
IBM To Market New Colors to Expand
Notebook Customer Base
DigiTimes.com's
Celia Lin and Steve Shen report:
"IBM aims to expand its customer base for its notebooks by
introducing models with new color schemes worldwide in the fourth
quarter of this year, according to Hank Horng, president of the
personal systems group at IBM Taiwan...
"Most female customers have shied away from buying IBM notebooks
because they are only available in black, Horng admitted."
The Register's Tony
Smith comments:
"Horng... didn't say which colours IBM will offer, but now that
Apple has ditched its multicolor computer cases, Big Blue has
plenty of choices.
"That said, Canada's Voodoo PC, which specialises on offering
brightly hued notebooks to the gaming community might well take
umbrage if IBM trots out similarly shaded systems - from 'autobahn
white' to 'Monaco yellow'. Alienware likewise offers a range of
unusual colours, such as the bilious 'cyborg green' and 'conspiracy
blue'."
Another Widescreen Notebook: HP
Pavilion zd7000
PC
Magazine reports:
"We loved previous iterations of HP's widescreen multimedia
portable ('The Coolest Home PCs: Desktop Replacement Notebooks,'
November 25, 2003), and we like the new build of the HP Pavilion
zd7000 desktop replacement just as much."
Bargain 'Books
There are two different versions of WallStreet running at 233
MHz, the cacheless MainStreet
version and the later Series II
with a level 2 cache. It's not always possible to determine from
the vendor's listing which is being offered, so we've included
links within this paragraph to the two models. The same goes for
the PowerBook G4/667 (Gigabit
Ethernet/2001) and G4/667 (DVI)
and the titanium vs. aluminum 15" PowerBook G4 at 1 GHz.
- The Apple Store has new money saving deals on refurbished Apple
products, including 15" PowerBooks starting at $1,599, 17"
PowerBooks starting at $1,999, 12" PowerBooks starting at $1,199,
and much more. All Apple refurbished equipment is covered by
Apple's one-year limited warranty. What's more, customers can
purchase AppleCare Protection Plans to go along with their
refurbished equipment. Supplies are limited and sure to go fast.
All details available under the "Special Deals" tile.
- used 12" iBook G3/500,
64/20/CD-ROM, $499
- used 12" iBook G3/500,
128/20/CD-ROM, $529
- used 12" iBook G3/500, 128/10/
DVD, $639
- refurb 12" iBook G3/800,
128/30/CD-ROM, $679
- refurb 12" iBook G3/800,
128/30/CD-ROM, with AppleCare, $929
- PowerBook 1400cs/117,
48/1/floppy, $199.95
- PowerBook 1400cs/133,
48/1.3/floppy, $219.95
- PowerBook 1400c/166, 48/2/floppy,
$249.95
- 12" iBook G3/300, 64/3/CD-ROM,
$379.95
- 12" iBook G3/300, 128/6/CD-ROM,
$419.95
- 12" iBook G3/300, 192/6/CD-ROM,
blueberry, $439.95
- new 12" iBook G3/800,
128/30/CD-ROM, AirPort, $749
- refurb 12" iBook G4/800,
128/30/CD-ROM, also includes: installed 256 MB RAM, LaCie FireWire
CD-RW 52x/24x/52x, $1,046
- refurb 15" aluminum PowerBook G4/1
GHz, 256/60/Combo, $1,649
For more deals on current or recently discontinued models, see
our Best PowerBook G4 Deals,
Best iBook G4 Deals, and Best iBook G3 Deals.
